Bingo!Pedon has said publicly during early work outs he told the team that they’ll have to earn everything. He said he even told the last years captains they’d have to earn their titles. He was prepared to start from scratch and is.
Hit the roadLol. Or afternoon.
I’m fine with this. Let them all leave. I don’t understand the infatuation with the players on this roster leaving. Give the staff some damn time to replace lesser players with better ones.
+1It’s not like these guys are or were lazy slobs. They worked their tales off. They know what the cost is to earn position and playing time. Nothing new. DM required hard work and attitude to earn and find the floor but some complained that someone was always in the dog house with him. He could be hard-nosed and stubborn on his requirements and from what I have heard through the years was uncompromising on it.
DJ has said he always wondered why coach rode his backside so hard and he finally realized it was because coach saw his potential and knew he wouldn’t reach his potential without hard work and a positive attitude. So, to me this rhetoric is nice and cozy and checks all the new coach boxes but it is nothing other coaches haven’t said before. These guys aren’t transferring because they got scared off and trembled at the realization that they now have to “earn“ it. They have been earning it throughout their basketball lives.
The good news- there is a good player in the portal to replace every player that left.Here comes another Thursday night!
I don’t know how hard they worked- and it’s their right to leave. I do know it wasn’t like they ever won anything. I would more likely to cry at night had this team went to the NIT last year.It’s not like these guys are or were lazy slobs. They worked their tales off. They know what the cost is to earn position and playing time. Nothing new. DM required hard work and attitude to earn and find the floor but some complained that someone was always in the dog house with him. He could be hard-nosed and stubborn on his requirements and from what I have heard through the years was uncompromising on it.
DJ has said he always wondered why coach rode his backside so hard and he finally realized it was because coach saw his potential and knew he wouldn’t reach his potential without hard work and a positive attitude. So, to me this rhetoric is nice and cozy and checks all the new coach boxes but it is nothing other coaches haven’t said before. These guys aren’t transferring because they got scared off and trembled at the realization that they now have to “earn“ it. They have been earning it throughout their basketball lives.
But we may find out if it was his recruitingWell hey at least now we will never know if Dan's coaching was the problem or not because we won't have the same players to do a fair comparison.
+1
PLee almost did the same when he was here. Glad he stayed. I'm sure he is too. He's got a great paying gig
It’s not like these guys are or were lazy slobs. They worked their tales off. They know what the cost is to earn position and playing time. Nothing new. DM required hard work and attitude to earn and find the floor but some complained that someone was always in the dog house with him. He could be hard-nosed and stubborn on his requirements and from what I have heard through the years was uncompromising on it.
DJ has said he always wondered why coach rode his backside so hard and he finally realized it was because coach saw his potential and knew he wouldn’t reach his potential without hard work and a positive attitude. So, to me this rhetoric is nice and cozy and checks all the new coach boxes but it is nothing other coaches haven’t said before. These guys aren’t transferring because they got scared off and trembled at the realization that they now have to “earn“ it. They have been earning it throughout their basketball lives.
Damn that’s a whole starting lineup’s worth of solid P5 rotation guys or equivalent who made the most of their post-Redbird opportunities.This isn't any different then that situation where Hill, Threloff, Ziesloft, Upshaw and Ekey transferred out after that year.
Worth pointing out that the Illannoy team Ekey played on was pretty bad. They won a Tim Jankovich 20 games with wins over Valpo, Bradley, Bama State, Jville State, Chicago State, Dartmouth, and IPFW.Damn that’s a whole starting lineup’s worth of solid P5 rotation guys or equivalent who made the most of their post-Redbird opportunities.
Hill - Purdue starter
Threloff - solid 10+ RPG starter at NIU
Zeisloft - Indiana to G-League
Zeke - G-League sadly cut short
Ekey - Illini starter
This has me rethinking the “what if we stuck with Judson hire?” hypothetical at least a bit…
Ziesloft stayed one year extra to graduate early and then transferred. He was the part of the famous zone with Reggie in the middle and surrounded by 4 guards. Ziesloft usually played the back on the baseline where the #4 usually is.Damn that’s a whole starting lineup’s worth of solid P5 rotation guys or equivalent who made the most of their post-Redbird opportunities.
Hill - Purdue starter
Threloff - solid 10+ RPG starter at NIU
Zeisloft - Indiana to G-League
Zeke - G-League sadly cut short
Ekey - Illini starter
This has me rethinking the “what if we stuck with Judson hire?” hypothetical at least a bit…
You are correct on Hill. He went to Purdue after graduating from UTA.Worth pointing out that the Illannoy team Ekey played on was pretty bad. They won a Tim Jankovich 20 games with wins over Valpo, Bradley, Bama State, Jville State, Chicago State, Dartmouth, and IPFW.
Didn’t Johnny Hill also have a stop at a regional Texas school? UT Arlington?
When did NIU jump to a P5?Damn that’s a whole starting lineup’s worth of solid P5 rotation guys or equivalent who made the most of their post-Redbird opportunities.
Hill - Purdue starter
Threloff - solid 10+ RPG starter at NIU
Zeisloft - Indiana to G-League
Zeke - G-League sadly cut short
Ekey - Illini starter
This has me rethinking the “what if we stuck with Judson hire?” hypothetical at least a bit…
“Or equivalent.” I knew he was a bit of a stretch, but worth including since we haven’t had a proper conventional big since.When did NIU jump to a P5?
I don't think recruiting quality was a major contributor. He brought in many players who ended up playing pro, excelling here , or excelling wherever they transferred to. Mostly it was a product of a handful of head cases he gambled on and failed, and not being able to retain, give the good ones A reason to stay. Churn was his primary downfall.But we may find out if it was his recruiting
Ekey was a starter on a team that was #53 in Kenpom just 4 spots lower than our best squad in the past 24 years. I believe zeisloft was a decent contributor on a sweet 16 team. Hill’s Purdue team was a tourney team too I believe.Worth pointing out that the Illannoy team Ekey played on was pretty bad. They won a Tim Jankovich 20 games with wins over Valpo, Bradley, Bama State, Jville State, Chicago State, Dartmouth, and IPFW.
Didn’t Johnny Hill also have a stop at a regional Texas school? UT Arlington?
Nothing great about these stats:Ekey was a starter on a team that was #53 in Kenpom just 4 spots lower than our best squad in the past 24 years. I believe zeisloft was a decent contributor on a sweet 16 team. Hill’s Purdue team was a tourney team too I believe.
Obviously transfers are going to keep happening under the new rules, but if Pedon identifies the right guys from the right places, he can mitigate the damage. Muller seemed to recruit random guys from random places who who would be somewhat productive or promising and then they would transfer out.
i hope we become a destination for high major grad transfers looking for their last spot. Ahrens would be a good start, but his recruitment seems to be quiet.
I’m guessing if they averaged 7points in the Big Ten the thought is they’d have done slightly better in the Valley…if they had a decent coach.Nothing great about these stats:
Jon Ekey 7.3 PPG (2013-14) Illinois
Nick Zeisloft 6.6 PPG (2014-15) Indiana
6.5 PPG (2015-16) Indiana
Johnny Hill 5.1 PPG (2015-16) Purdue
Ekey was not a starter his Junior year @ ISU.
He probably wasn’t going to start or have limited minutes if he stayed (Jones, Middlebrook, Samuel all 6’9)
Zeisloft was not going to start and would have limited minutes his Junior year (Knight, Hunter, Purcell)
Johnny Hill was probably not going to play at all (see Zeisloft & add PLee)
Not sure where the love for these guys is coming from. They were mediocre players at Illinois State that got some time in at Big Ten schools.